Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
He chuckles, and his arm tightens around me. “It’s like a goose. And you are filled with information. I promise not to give Ivy any reason to need revenge on me. It’s obvious how many people care about you. Probably because you’re kind and tenderhearted and an excellent friend.” He punctuates each compliment with a stroke of my hair.
The sweet intimacy pierces me. Tomorrow we have to play our roles, but tonight we get to be Ani and Luca. Tonight we get to shut the world out and be together. “Do you have any friends you’ve had since you were a kid?”
I think it would be odd to go through life without deep friendships, without someone who understood what your childhood was like. We’re so shaped by how we grow up.
“I wasn’t allowed friends,” Luca admits. “Not in the way you would understand. There were no playdates or football teams for me. I had mates at school, and I had my cousins, but my childhood was isolated. I’m the last of the line, and when my parents accepted that they wouldn’t have another child, I’m afraid they became protective of me.”
“Because they loved you.”
He snorts, a not entirely unsexy sound coming from him. “No, because if I died one of my cousins would be the heir, and my father couldn’t stand his brother or sister so keeping them away from the throne was of the utmost importance. No. It wasn’t about love. They left me with nannies. There were always three, so they took shifts. When I was older, I went to school, and there was a bit of freedom in that, although it turns out raising a child only around adults makes one awkward. It took some time to build any kind of normal relationships with the other lads in my class.”
That sounded terrible. “You should have been able to run and play. My parents… Well, I don’t remember a time when they didn’t fight. They weren’t a good match, but they tried for a long time. It was a relief when they divorced. After my dad decided he’d punished my mom enough, he was effectively out of my life. Even when they were married, it wasn’t like he did his fair share of the childcare. I spent a lot of time on sets like this one. My mom or Tonya would pick me up and I would do my homework at the craft service table, handing out sandwiches. I knew how to make coffee way too young. But she always made sure I got time with my friends.”
“I don’t think I made a real friend until I was an adult,” Luca muses. “It’s hard because I have to put my people first. That means being friends with or dating me can be disappointing. I can’t tell you how many times I have to cancel because of some emergency that forces me to return to the palace.”
“Your girlfriend should understand that you have a thankless job that you never asked for.” I feel for Luca in this. He never got to dream about what he would be when he grew up. His path was set the moment he was born, and it wouldn’t change unless he was willing to leave his people behind.
“Perhaps it’s why I’ve never had a truly serious girlfriend. I’ve never considered marrying any of them. The one I was closest to threw a huge fit when I had to leave our vacation in Greece to deal with a problem with parliament. Tell me what you would have done. Perhaps not thrown an empty bottle of Dom Pérignon at my head.”
“No. I wouldn’t have done that.” I know exactly what I would have done. “I would have packed up and gone with you. If I couldn’t, I would have followed you when I could. You don’t have a nine to five job. You have a whole country depending on you. That’s why allowances must be made.”
There’s a knock on the door that reminds me that despite our intimacy, we’re never truly alone.
Luca sighs and kisses my forehead. “Remember that you said this, Schatz. The only reason Hans would interrupt is for a problem only I can handle.” He stares at me for a moment. “I don’t want to leave you.”
Another knock.
I kiss him briefly. “It’s okay. I understand.”
He slides out of bed and retrieves his boxers and pants before opening the door. After a short conversation with Hans that has me wishing I knew more German, Luca sighs and nods his head.
“I have to go,” he says as he pulls his shirt over his head. “Apparently there are papers I have to sign. It’s already morning at home, and parliament can’t meet without them. I would have them come over here, but I don’t trust anyone besides Hans with our secret. I’ll see you tomorrow at the elimination ceremony. I can’t wait to see what you wear.” He winks. “Something short, I hope. You always look so beautiful, Schatz. Do you want to get rid of Shelby? This I will do for you if you think it will make the house calmer.”